Baitullah Mehsud rival Qari Zainuddin shot dead

[dk33]

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Well, some people had argued that Zainudin did not have the influence or men under his command he claimed any way, so in terms of providing tangible support to the military operation his loss may not be significant.

I think the primary aim behind supporting him was to provide an alternate tribal leadership that defectors from Baitullah, and the Mehsud tribesmen supporting Baitullah, could rally around once the military operation geared up.

Depending upon whether someone from the hierarchy of Zainnudin's group steps up and continues with the opposition to Mehsud, the overall goals may not suffer too large of a setback.

[SSGPA1]

There will be someone else standing up and taking place of Mr. Zain. This is a blow to the GoP but it also shows that BM is also taking steps very quickly which will eventually prove to be fatal in his environment.

People are suggesting that BM has the power to quickly react against his enemies but I see this as the first sign of cracks in unity of Mehsood’s.

[dk33]

People are suggesting that BM has the power to quickly react against his enemies but I see this as the first sign of cracks in unity of Mehsood’s.

If we agree that Baitullah has built his power and influence through brute force and fear, then this will in fact solidify his base, since he just showed, through brute force, what the consequences of crossing him are.

IMO any alternate tribal leadership contesting the loyalty of the Mehsud tribesmen, that Baitullah enjoys currently, will not earn widespread support until the military really pushes Mehsud and he suffers military setbacks.

Mehsud has built up an aura of power and 'invincibility' even around him, in no small part due to the 'stop and go' policies pursued by the GoP in dealing with him.

It will take a bloodied and bruised Baitullah and TTP in Waziristan to weaken that aura.

[Muhammad Yahya]

If we agree that Baitullah has built his power and influence through brute force and fear, then this will in fact solidify his base, since he just showed, through brute force, what the consequences of crossing him are.

IMO any alternate tribal leadership contesting the loyalty of the Mehsud tribesmen, that Baitullah enjoys currently, will not earn widespread support until the military really pushes Mehsud and he suffers military setbacks.

Mehsud has built up an aura of power and 'invincibility' even around him, in no small part due to the 'stop and go' policies pursued by the GoP in dealing with him.

It will take a bloodied and bruised Baitullah and TTP in Waziristan to weaken that aura.

I think he is enjoying the support of all other major tribes of waziristan bajour,mehmund and dera ismail khan .He is much more power full then Mullah Omer .

[TalibanSwatter]

While taking full fledged military action against Baitullah's forces is a necessity, killing him should not solely depend on such action. If BM's men can infiltrate his rival's camp, the army should be able to utilize the dead rival's men for counter-infiltration operations - a SSG strike unit must prepped to work in conjunction with anti-Baitullah tribal infiltrators to help broaden the options for scoring a quick decisive kill.

Once BM is six feet under, the resistance against the army will most likely fall like a house of cards. Clearly, BM is the guy that gives the TTP its aura of self-confidence. Take him out early and the tribal support for the taliban will evaporate.

[MBI Munshi]

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 8:37 p.m. ET

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) -- The assassination of the leader of a renegade Pakistani Taliban faction by one of his own men Tuesday underscores a growing rift in the ranks of the militant group as it braces for an impending army assault in the volatile northwest.

Qari Zainuddin's killing sets back government hopes of exploiting these internal divisions in the South Waziristan tribal region, where the army has been pounding strongholds of Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud in apparent preparation for a major, U.S.-backed offensive.

Suspected U.S. missiles also hammered the same areas Tuesday, striking a purported Taliban training center and then a funeral procession for some of those killed in the earlier attack. Up to 40 people were killed -- including Sangeen Khan, a top aide to Mehsud -- and 60 more wounded, said two intelligence officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because it would compromise their jobs.

Mehsud has humbled the Pakistani army in past battles and has been closing ranks this year by forging fresh alliances with other powerful Taliban leaders and killing off opponents. Although Zainuddin was never seen as a serious challenger to Mehsud, the government had clearly hoped his outspoken criticism of the Taliban leader would foster others to defect and help the army with tips on where to find him.

Aides to the slain Taliban official said a guard walked into Zainuddin's office after morning prayers and opened fire at about 7 a.m., hitting him in the head and chest, and then fled in a waiting car.

Baz Mohammad, a Zainuddin aide who was wounded, accused Mehsud of ordering the assassination.

Zainuddin had recently criticized Mehsud for using suicide bombings to target civilians and, more importantly in his view, clerics inside mosques.

''It was definitely Baitullah's man who infiltrated our ranks, and he has done his job,'' Mohammad told The Associated Press, vowing to avenge the death.

But that will be no easy task, as shown by the military's challenges in going after Mehsud in the tribal lands on the Afghan border, where he is based. Instead of a full-on confrontation, the army has been using airstrikes and artillery to try to soften up his men's entrenched positions by attacking suspected hide-outs and training camps from far away.

The Obama administration supports anti-militant operations, seeing them as a measure of Pakistan's resolve in combating a growing insurgency. The battle could also help the war in Afghanistan because militants have launched cross-border attacks on coalition troops there.

Mahmood Shah, a former top security official, said the slaying sends a message to the government that only a major operation would have a chance of defeating Mehsud.

''Baitullah Mehsud has overcome all tribal dynamics. He has resources, funding and a fighting force to strike anywhere in Pakistan,'' Shah said, calling him a front man for al-Qaida and his home base of South Waziristan the ''epicenter in the war on terror.''

Mehsud has been accused of masterminding the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and of sending scores of suicide bombers across Pakistan, fostering the creation of an alliance of Taliban commanders against him barely a month ago.

The strength of the mutineers -- led by Zainuddin, Turkestani Bhittani and Commander Amir Thesil -- is dwarfed by Mehsud's army, said a tribal leader from South Waziristan who asked not to be identified because he feared either Mehsud or Mehsud's enemies would kill him. He estimated Mehsud's strength at upward of 12,000 fighters, including Pakistanis, Afghans, Arabs, Uzbeks, Burmese, Chinese and even some Americans and Australians.

''They have control of the whole Mehsud area,'' the tribal leader said, referring to a 2,500-square-mile swath of land in the remote, mountainous tribal zone. ''He will be difficult to eliminate. The Pakistani forces will face a tough fight.''

That battle may be harder with Zainuddin's assassination.

''Any further defections from Baitullah Mehsud might not take place,'' Shah said, adding that Zainuddin's value to the government was as a potential informant who ''could tell where the hideouts would have been.''

Army spokesman Gen. Athar Abbas said that the military has not helped any of the anti-Mehsud Taliban forces, which he said have not demonstrated an ability to protect themselves.

''The government may be engaging with them and may be doing whatever at a political level,'' said Abbas, but the military isn't ready to partner with any insurgents who ''might end up being a future problem for us.''

Zainuddin, who broke with Mehsud in 2007, was estimated to have about 3,000 armed followers in the towns of Dera Ismail Khan and nearby Tank.

Although Zainuddin too had a ruthless past, he denounced Mehsud this month for recent attacks on mosques that killed clerics and civilians, bombings apparently in retaliation for the army offensive in the northwestern Swat Valley.

Residents of South Waziristan are taking a wait-and-see approach to the Pakistani military operation, reluctant to show outright support for an army they worry will not complete the job.

''You have to know that among the tribes we will follow whoever is the strongest,'' said the tribal leader. A shura, or council of elders, for the Mehsud tribe was held June 16, but the tribal leaders, who had previously endorsed Mehsud, broke up without any decision except to meet again.

''They are waiting to see what happens. Before, whenever they met they gave their support to Mehsud. This time they want to wait and see what happens with the military and the government,'' the tribal leader said. ''Their silence means they are waiting.''

The renegade Taliban agree on the need to fight U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan.

In a telephone interview last weekend from his home in South Waziristan, Bhittani told The Associated Press that while he wanted Mehsud dead, jihad against foreigners in Afghanistan is ''every good Muslim's duty.''

It's in the tribal regions, which share a 1,560-mile border with Afghanistan, that the United States says al-Qaida revived after the U.S.-led invasion that drove the Taliban from power in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks.

The assassination comes four months after Mehsud successfully consolidated his hold on the Tehrik-e-Taliban, a two-year-old organization which claims to represent Taliban leaders from across Pakistan's tribal belt. He healed some potentially damaging rifts, apparently under pressure from Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar.

In that agreement, he closed ranks with powerful Taliban leaders -- Maulvi Naseer in South Waziristan and Gul Bahadar in North Waziristan. Both men have battle-hardened troops, in contrast to the weaker mutineers, and could prove a more difficult opponent for the Pakistan army.

While the agreement is holding, there are reports that neither Naseer nor Bahadar is ready to send his fighters to Mehsud's aid unless either is hit by U.S. drones patrolling the tribal regions.

Dozens of airstrikes have been carried out in the tribal regions over the last year, drawing criticism from Pakistan's leaders that they jeopardize the military operation by firing up an already raging anti-Americanism.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009...gewanted=print

[batmannow]

baitullah mehsud, has a good support in pak intelligience set up!
even some former heads of ISI, were on the back of BM.
every major planes to, hit him or kill him! he knows before , the actions carried out? why & how?

[H2O3C4Nitrogen]

Depending upon whether someone from the hierarchy of Zainnudin's group steps up and continues with the opposition to Mehsud, the overall goals may not suffer too large of a setback.

I seriously dought this fact AM. Will there be same kind of opposition once again. I think Such an opposition would be difficult to achieve . I am not an expert in tribal warfare but incidents like these send shok waves throughout the reagion and have demoralizing effects upon on feild assets.
If incident of this scale happens again i fear the PA will find itself alone fighting against these Barbarians.

[dk33]

I seriously dought this fact AM. Will there be same kind of opposition once again. I think Such an opposition would be difficult to achieve . I am not an expert in tribal warfare but incidents like these send shok waves throughout the reagion and have demoralizing effects upon on feild assets.

We can only wait and see if the next in line picks up the mantle and is equally vocal about opposing the TTP.

In terms of additional support from the Mehsud tribe for the PA, as I said earlier, I do not see that happening at this point for the reasons mentioned.

If incident of this scale happens again i fear the PA will find itself alone fighting against these Barbarians.

Well it just did, or at least was attempted:

Attack on Baitullah Mehsud’s rival commander office averted

Updated at: 0945 PST, Wednesday, June 24, 2009
TANK: An attack on the office of Baitullah Mehsud’s opponent group commander Turkistan Bethni has been averted.

According to sources, unknown gunmen attacked office of Baitullah Mehsud’s rival group commander Turistan Bethni in Mal Mandi, which was averted through retaliatory action of Bethni group armed men. The attackers were managed to flee from the scene.

Attack on Baitullah Mehsud’s rival commander office averted

[H2O3C4Nitrogen]

If BM's men can infiltrate his rival's camp, the army should be able to utilize the dead rival's men for counter-infiltration operations

I think PA dosent have this kind of Luxury. BM is surrounded by some realy loyal people. In every fighting group the center of gravity is the leader and once you bring it down , the cracks do appear even though you have very loyal people in the Hiarchy.

Things are bit complex here.

[H2O3C4Nitrogen]

Attack on Baitullah Mehsud’s rival commander office averted

Updated at: 0945 PST, Wednesday, June 24, 2009
TANK: An attack on the office of Baitullah Mehsud’s opponent group commander Turkistan Bethni has been averted.

According to sources, unknown gunmen attacked office of Baitullah Mehsud’s rival group commander Turistan Bethni in Mal Mandi, which was averted through retaliatory action of Bethni group armed men. The attackers were managed to flee from the scene.

Well an outstanding job. This is how you need protect your assets. It strenthens the alliance and the confidance.

[H2O3C4Nitrogen]

Waziristan uncertainty



Qari Zainuddin, a militant commander and rival of Baitullah Mehsud, has been assassinated by his bodyguard in Medina Colony in D.I. Khan. According to Qari Misbahuddin, the younger brother of Qari Zainuddin, the guard, Gulbuddin Mehsud, had been working with the family for six years and was one of the most trusted employees in the family’s pay.

However, on Tuesday morning after Qari Zainuddin and Baaz Muhammad, a close aide of Zainuddin’s, retired to their living quarters after morning prayers Misbahuddin opened fire on the two men, killing Zainuddin and injuring Baaz Muhammad. The FIR registered by Baaz Muhammad alleges that the killer acted on behalf of Baitullah Mehsud. That is possible. In recent days, Qari Zainuddin had come out publicly against Baitullah and accused him, among other things, of having links with India and Israel and ‘working against Islam’. This against the backdrop of an impending military operation in South Waziristan Agency, Operation Rah-i-Nijaat, targeted against Baitullah.


The immediate result of the assassination is likely to be demoralisation in the Qari Zainuddin camp. The group has quickly appointed Qari Misbahuddin as its new amir in a bid to keep themselves organised, but there is little doubt that losing their leader on the eve of serious fighting is a big blow. The truth is though little is known about what exactly is going on in South Waziristan Agency, who is fighting whom and why, and what is likely to happen in the days and weeks ahead. What is clear so far is that the security forces are squeezing Baitullah Mehsud’s strongholds by cutting off the three main routes that lead to them and pounding targets from the air.



Reports suggest several militants from the Baitullah camp have been killed so far, but this has not been verified independently. Meanwhile, drones continue to strike targets in South Waziristan Agency, but once again it has not been possible to independently verify who has been killed.


Then in the last few weeks, Qari Zainuddin and Haji Turkistan, former allies of Baitullah, had suddenly emerged in the national media to denounce the strongest warlord in Waziristan. It is suspected that the two were encouraged by the state to turn up the heat on Baitullah. Questions are now being asked about who put up Zainuddin in the house in Medina Colony and what he was doing in D.I. Khan.

Questions are also being raised about wheels within wheels: Zainuddin appeared to have taken on the mantle of Abdullah Mehsud, another militant commander from South Waziristan who was killed in 2006, and was quoted in a recent interview as saying that the ‘infidels and foreign troops in the neighbouring country [Afghanistan]’ needed to be attacked. Smoke and mirrors everywhere it seems.

DAWN.COM | Provinces | Waziristan uncertainty

[H2O3C4Nitrogen]

Assassination exposes Taliban rifts

The assassination of the leader of a renegade Pakistani Taliban faction by one of his own men has underlined a growing rift in the ranks of the militant group.

Qari Zainuddin's killing sets back government hopes of exploiting these internal divisions in the South Waziristan tribal region.

Suspected US missiles have also hammered the area, striking a purported Taliban training centre and later a funeral procession for some of those killed in the first missile attack.

Up to 40 people died - including Sangeen Khan, a top aide to Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud - and 60 more were wounded.

Mehsud has humbled the Pakistani army in past battles and has been closing ranks this year by forging fresh alliances with other powerful Taliban leaders and killing off opponents.

Although Zainuddin was never seen as a serious challenger to Mehsud, the government had clearly hoped his outspoken criticism of the Taliban leader would foster others to defect and help the army with tips on where to find him.

Aides to the Taliban official said a guard walked into Zainuddin's office after morning prayers and opened fire at about 7am, hitting him in the head and chest, and then fled in a waiting car.

Baz Mohammad, a Zainuddin aide who was wounded, accused Mehsud of ordering the assassination.

Zainuddin had recently criticised Mehsud for using suicide bombings to target civilians and, more importantly in his view, clerics inside mosques.

"It was definitely Baitullah's man who infiltrated our ranks, and he has done his job," Mohammad said.

The Press Association: Assassination exposes Taliban rifts

[TalibanSwatter]

Reality check for some of the conspiracy theorists out there....ala "BM is a US agent" and other nonsense .


The Nation - Taliban meet

Senior al Qaeda and Afghan Taliban leaders are reported to have met with Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud to advise him to move his group's operations into Afghanistan and halt attacks against the Pakistani state.

Several meetings were said to have been held last week after an 11-man delegation of al Qaeda and Taliban heavy hitters arrived in Waziristan to deliver a request from Mullah Omar, the Amir al Mumineen, or the leader of the faithful in Pakistan and Afghanistan, according to a report in The Nation.

The Taliban dispatched Sirajuddin Haqqani, the powerful military commander of the Haqqani Network, and Abdul Hakeem Sharaee and Mir Ahmad Jan Hashemi, two senior deputies of Mullah Abdullah Zakir, the Taliban's senior-most military commander in southern Afghanistan who was released from Guantanamo Bay. Al Qaeda sent Abu Yahya Al Libi, one of al Qaeda's senior ideologues and a representative of the religious committee, and Abdul Haq Turkistani, the leader of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Party, an al Qaeda-linked group that is made up of Uighurs who fight the Chinese government. Abdul Haq serves on al Qaeda's Shura Majlis, or executive council.

The joint Taliban and al Qaeda delegation reportedly advised Baitullah to halt the Pakistani Taliban's attacks against the military and government and to focus his energy in Afghanistan. The leaders believe Baitullah's terror attacks against the Pakistani state are putting undue pressure on the Taliban in both Pakistan and Afghanistan and threaten to damage the overall Taliban movement. The Taliban and al Qaeda leadership are concerned that even a limited Pakistani military offensive in the tribal areas will put their training camps and safe houses throughout the border regions at risk as the Afghan Taliban is gearing up for a major fight with Coalition and Afghan forces.

Baitullah was reportedly advised to dodge the nascent Pakistani Army offensive in South Waziristan and move the bulk of his forces into Afghanistan to carry out attacks against Afghan and Coalition forces. The Taliban and al Qaeda delegation was also reported to have advised North Waziristan Taliban leader Hafiz Gul Bahadar to provide safe passage for Baitullah and his Taliban army.

Baitullah is said to have rejected the request from Mullah Omar, responding, "Mullah Omar is our Amir but like Afghanistan, they [the Pakistani Taliban] are determined to continue resistance in Pakistan." Baitullah also met with the shura of the United Mujahideen Council, the alliance with South Waziristan Taliban warlord Mullah Nazir and powerful North Waziristan leader Hafiz Gul Bahadar. Nazir, who is being pressured by the Pakistani government to sit out the operation against Baitullah, is said to have not attended, according to the Islamabad Ausaf, a pro-****** Urdu-language newspaper. Bahadar offered Baitullah safe passage through to Afghanistan, as advised by the al Qaeda and Taliban delegation.

[SSGPA1]

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If we agree that Baitullah has built his power and influence through brute force and fear, then this will in fact solidify his base, since he just showed, through brute force, what the consequences of crossing him are.

IMO any alternate tribal leadership contesting the loyalty of the Mehsud tribesmen, that Baitullah enjoys currently, will not earn widespread support until the military really pushes Mehsud and he suffers military setbacks.

Mehsud has built up an aura of power and 'invincibility' even around him, in no small part due to the 'stop and go' policies pursued by the GoP in dealing with him.

It will take a bloodied and bruised Baitullah and TTP in Waziristan to weaken that aura.

Absolutely, PA support ad push is necessary because BM has tremendous amount of support from outside.

Hopefully his brute force will cause his demise.